Rumors and Reputations
by miss.SunFlower
Summary: Daine, bothered about the wealth rumors surrounding her and her teacher, gets news that bothers her even more. Though she doesn't understand why. Pre-EM though sets somethings up.


**Takes place between Wolf Speaker and Emperor Mage, closer to EM though. Like, the summer before they leave for Carthak.**

Thought I'd play around with several things in this.

A. Daine's reaction to rumors of her and Numair 'canoodling'. She says in Emperor Mage that _she's_ usually the one to take offense to it, so I took that and ran with it.

B. Daine's reaction to Numair's reputation. It 'irks' her, so she says. Once again, taking what was given in EM and spinning this off of it. Fun when she's not really aware of WHY it bothers her. Oh Daine.

C. Daine and Ouna's friendship. In Wild Magic she describes the K'mir as an older sister, and then leaves it for the rest of the books. Thought I'd give that relationship more development.

I don't own anything. Do enjoy. :)

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><p><strong>Rumors and Reputations<strong>

It was midsummer at Corus. The Queen's Riders' trainees got a short vacation from training to spend the holiday with their families. The hostlers for the Riders got no such break, as someone would have to watch over the trainees' ponies during that time. That was just as well, though, as Ouna and Daine had nowhere else they wished to be.

This was Daine's third summer in Tortall, and as far as most friends were concerned, she fit there. She enjoyed that thought, the thought of having a place where she fit. Though she'd had a peaceful life with her Ma and Grandda for the first twelve years of her life, it had always been clear to her that Snowsdale was _not_ that place. She didn't think she'd ever find one. It was a joy to know she had been wrong.

The days that lead to the summer holiday were free for Daine apart from two things, caring after the rider ponies, and lessons with her teacher, Numair Salmalin.

She was happy Numair had stayed in Corus, instead of returning to his tower near Pirate's Swoop. While she could, and had spent time there for lessons – not always on wild magic anymore, since she knew more, now they were on anything from stars to poisons – having him _here_ made it easier to balance all her duties.

In some cases, though, having him at court was _not_ good. One case, really, but it was one Daine felt particularly strongly about. Gossip.

It was the fall after she came to Tortall, not long after Numair made it fair official that Daine would be his student, that she'd heard the first rumor. She'd been so positively shocked that she wasn't sure she'd even heard the person correctly. The comment hadn't been made to her, so she didn't ask. When, a week later, she heard another person whisper it, she brought it up to the man in question.

"Numair… people think we're canoodling," she'd said awkwardly, blushing when he'd asked what was bothering her.

After first raising his eyebrows at her phrasing, he'd laughed. That had _not_ been the reaction Daine had suspected but it made her feel a little better. The laugh ended in a sigh, "I should have seen that coming, I suppose," he said, more to himself. To Daine he added, "I forget you're not accustomed to court life. Soon as there is any sort of news there will always be some who want to spin these sorts of rumors off of it. You told me before there were similar people where you're from?"

Daine had nodded.

He smiled, "It's just talk because they have nothing else to busy themselves with. Soon as Thayet does something 'scandalous', they'll forget about us. Court likes to talk about our fair Queen, especially the conservatives. And you just heard this, am I correct? No one said it directly to you?"

"No, sir," she answered.

"Then just ignore it. I wouldn't give it more than another week. Now, my magelet, to work." Daine smiled, feeling a little better about it, and the matter had been dropped.

She had thought Numair was right. For the rest of that year and much of the next the rumors never escalated beyond the overhearing of a few loud others, and some who were witless enough to imply it to her or Numair. The whole thing was viewed with a sort of annoyance from the two of them, but nothing more.

However, in the past two weeks Daine had heard that same old rumor more times than she had in the past _year_, and it was beginning to anger her.

It made so little sense! Numair had been her teacher for over two years now. It was clear – in Daine's opinion – nothing was happening between them. He was her friend, yes, but that didn't change that he was her teacher. And she was half his age, more or less. He would never! But that didn't seem to stop anyone.

"What's the matter?" Ouna asked, having finally endured enough of Daine's enraged silence since she had slammed the stable door coming in to help the older woman with grooming ponies for the day. She'd just finished lessons and had received enough meaningful glances coming back to shatter the calm spending time with Numair gave her.

Daine was jolted out of her frustrated thoughts, "Oh? Nothing. Just tired, is all." She said quickly.

Ouna raised her eyebrows. Even if Daine hadn't been the worst liar in the entire realm, Ouna would have seen through her. The ponies had all reacted immediately to their friend's emotions; all of them were fidgety and tense. She stopped her brushing to put both hands on her hips. "Daine."

The girl sighed, giving the pony before her all of her attention before finally bursting out, "I just don't understand why it's gotten so much _worse_!"

The K'mir blinked, "Why what's gotten worse?"

"The rumors! The people who think Numair – Mithros, my TEACHER – is bedding me." She complained. The pony she was brushing complained that she was hurting him. She set the brush down instantly and apologized before looking back at Ouna.

"I thought you'd be used to that by now, as far as I know they've been at it since you came here."

Daine sighed, "That's just it. In the past few weeks it's gotten so much _worse_ – like my being Numair's student is suddenly brand new information. I don't understand. I mean, I don't understand why they think that to begin with."

Ouna gave the girl a moment to gather her breathing from her rant before saying, "Well, that's people for you, they'll find anything scandalous if given the chance."

"But he's my teacher-"

"But he's also a man," she said. "The fact that it's Numair probably doesn't help," She added thoughtfully. Seeing Daine raise her eyebrows skeptically, Ouna gave an exasperated laugh, "Horse Lords, Daine! You can't have lived here this long without having heard _those_ rumors!"

"The rumors that he's bedded half the court?" Daine said dryly, "Person would have to be fair deaf not to hear them." She paused, and then said slowly, "I thought they were just rumors, like all the other things those people say."

Ouna began brushing again and spoke casually, "Nah, there's some truth to that one, at least. Granted, half the court is an exaggeration, of course, and there will be those who try and blow it further out of proportion. But no, our mage has… gotten around some. Enough to make him an easy target for this sort of thing," she added with a shrug. "And you're from the country, with a questionable background; gossips don't need anymore to work with than that."

Daine nodded; _that_ she understood. Trying not to think about what she'd learned of Numair, she brought back the topic at hand, "But why, if that's all of it, why is it worse NOW?"

The K'mir looked at the fifteen year old girl, who'd returned to inspecting a rider pony, out of the corner of her eye. She'd helped Daine settle in Corus more than anyone and had watched her grow, in confidence and, well – Ouna was just glad she had talked the embarrassed girl into getting a better fitting breast band at midwinter. Her figure may not have held a candle to the court women who made sure everyone and their horse knew what _they_ had, but the curves couldn't be denied. She was far from the twig she'd been at thirteen.

"Daine. You're not a child. Well, you never really were, not since you've been here," she added hastily. "But you're looking less and less like the shy girl child you were. You may not realize it. Numair may not even realize it. But the gossips have, and the fact that Numair's kept you as his student, plus his… reputation, of course… it's making it all too easy." Ouna shrugged and said in a lighter voice, "Point is; they'll always be at it. You might as well go on ignoring it."

The girl nodded, feeling a little embarrassed after that speech. She turned all her attention to the pony she had been inspecting, aware she was not giving a very thorough job and hating herself for it. Thoughtlessly, she spoke up again, "Ouna?"

"Yeah?"

"How many women _has_ Numair been with?"

The older woman was surprised into a laugh, having not expected _that_ question, "He hardly confides such a thing in me, Daine!"

Daine went red, still unsure where in the world that question had come from, "I'm sorry- I just- until today I thought-." She trailed off.

Sisterly mischief took over in Ouna, who grinned, "Why don't you ask _him_?"

She squeaked, her face going several shades darker, "Are you kidding! He'd have a right laugh at me if I said anything about that! Besides, it's not my business, asking him."

"But you can ask me, about it, hm? Why does it matter anyways?" She asked wickedly, "Are you jealous?"

"Ouna!" Daine cried, "Odd's bobs! Why would I be jealous?"

"Oh, you are! You've found out you're not the only female in our mage's life and you don't like it!"

Daine opened her mouth to snap back at that, when she thought about her words. She thought about her lessons, about the way Numair smiled at her when she got something right, or taught him something or he called her his magelet. She had to admit _some_ displeasure at the discovery that an unknown number of women had also been at the receiving end of that smile – perhaps more so than Daine.

Her friend raised her eyebrows and Daine quickly thought up a proper retort, "I never thought I was the only female in his life! He has you, and Lady Alanna, and- and Thayet and Buri and he's known you all a lot longer too!"

"Mmmhmm." The grin had not left the K'mir's face.

"Oh hush!"

"Well, you're getting better. He's more in your league than Jon."

"Ouna you promised never to mention that again!" Daine stomped her foot. She was laughing now, too hard to appropriately answer. The girl pouted, "You're acting like one of those gossip ladies!"

Ouna let her laughter die but kept the smile, "No, I'm acting like an older sister. Someone has to tease you, sometimes."

A smile grudgingly came to Daine's face. Ouna was the closest to a sister she would ever have, and she did enjoy it – even if that meant she got teased. "Well, can you halt the teasing long enough for us to finish grooming?" She said, belatedly realizing in their conversation they'd gotten absolutely nowhere.

"Alright, alright. Not promising I won't pick it up again at dinner," she added, knowing Numair would be there. Daine knew it, too, and threw her brush at her, before laughing.

Ouna joined her in laughing, pleased in successfully cheering up her young friend, and continued their work in a much lighter mood.

And Daine was appropriately distracted from mulling over her maybe jealousy when it came to her tall friend. The next time she thought of it was during the next morning's lessons, when Numair had tousled her hair and gave her his affectionate grin when she'd been able to finish his sentence. She decided she had no reason to feel jealousy – if she did, in fact, feel it. She had something all those court women obviously did not; his friendship. And that, in her opinion was much better.

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><p><strong>Author's note.<strong> To explain really quick; Ouna doesn't honestly believe Daine has a thing for Numair, or if she does, she just thinks it's a silly crush like the one on Jonathan. I suspect most of their friends knew that they were in love long before they told them but, that said, I don't think anyone started those guesses until after Carthak. Right now Ouna is just being, as she said, an older sister. She's obligated to tease.

Reviews are loved, again. Please and thank you.

**ALSO. Big thank you to the correcting of my horrendous grammar. I try, really I do - but I'm hopeless in the end. Thanks for putting up with me.**


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